The invention relates to air flow in an engine rotor and, more particularly, to an impeller insert/plug between the flanges for use in aircraft or gas turbine engines.
Gas turbines are widely used in industrial and commercial operations. A typical gas turbine includes a compressor at the front, one or more combustors around the middle, and a turbine at the rear. The compressor imparts kinetic energy to the working fluid (e.g., air) to produce a compressed working fluid at a highly energized state. The compressed working fluid exits the compressor and flows to the combustors where it mixes with fuel and ignites to generate combustion gases having a high temperature and pressure. The combustion gases flow to the turbine where they expand to produce work. For example, expansion of the combustion gases in the turbine may rotate a shaft connected to a generator to produce electricity.
The compressor and the turbine typically share a common rotor which extends from near the front of the compressor, through the combustor section, to near the rear of the turbine. The rotor typically is configured to direct a portion of the working fluid through one or more cooling flow passages to cool various components of the gas turbine.
In a gas turbine engine, air is extracted from the flow path into the rotor through flanges. This air is then directed to the turbine to cool the turbine airfoils. In a typical configuration, an impeller/slot is located between the two wheel flanges through which the air passes from rim to bore. Impeller definition/geometry itself is governed by the flow and pressures that are required.